Efficacy and tolerability of lercanidipine in monotherapy its elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension

To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of lercanidipine, used as mono therapy once a day, in elderly patients with isolated systolic hypertension (ISH), 83 patients were enrolled in this multicenter, double-blind, random ized, placebo-controlled study. All patients were older than 60 years, and their mean age was 66.7+/-5.4 years. ISH was defined as SBP greater than or equal to 160 mmHg, and DBP<95 mmHg. After wash-out and placebo run-in peri ods, patients were randomly assigned to placebo or lercanidipine (10 mg onc e a day) treatment for 4 weeks. Non-responding patients of the lercanidipin e-treated group were later treated with 20 mg of lercanidipine once a day f or 4 additional weeks. At the end of the study, the reduction in systolic b lood pressure was significantly larger in the lercanidipine-treated patient s (-32.4 mmHg) compared to the fall observed in the placebo group (-9.6 mmH g). Diastolic blood pressure decreased slightly but significantly in the le rcanidipine-treated patients only. At the end of lercanidipine treatment, 2 3 of 37 patients (62%) were normalized. Changes in heart rate, occurrence o f orthostatic hypotension, and clinically relevant changes in electrocardio graphic and laboratory findings were not observed in either group. Lercanid ipine treatment was suspended in one patient because of epigastric pain. Th ese data indicate that lercanidipine, used as monotherapy once a day, is ef fective in lowering elevated systolic blood pressure in elderly patients, a nd is well tolerated. (C)2000, Editrice Kurtis.